Tavakli mosque might look just like any other mosque to a visitor passing through but this is the centre of the community and it is very well looked after and revered by the citizens of Tavakli village.

Tavakli mosque welcomes all visitors. Please take the time to visit the mosque for prayer or to look around. Visiting a mosque is a learning experience and followers of Islam welcome tourists to the mosque.

Please observe simple rules of etiquette when visiting so as not to cause offence. The most important thing is to leave your shoes in the area provided before you enter the mosque and to act as you would in any house of God. Avoid talking loudly, turn off your mobile phone and do not take food or drink inside the mosque. Most of the rules are common sense.

Basically, dress appropriately and make sure your legs are covered and that you are respectful of your surroundings. If in doubt ask and someone will happily escort you around and put you right if you make any mistakes.

May Allah be with you at every step you take,
May Allah guide you in each decision you make,
May Allah help you when life gets rough,
May Allah Bless you with more than enough,
May Allah protect you when you fall,
May Allah hear you when you call,
May Allah sooth your heart when you don’t understand,
May you always be in Allah’s loving Hand.. Ameen

This is a magnificent old building and basically a sound structure but the roof is in a poor state and needs attention. With a new roof and some windows, a lick of paint and a bit of effort, this could be an amazing community centre and a good playground for the children of the village.

Sadly there are not enough funds to pay for the work needed but if you know anyone who could help please contact our village leader ( Muhtar ) Mr Mehmet Karabulut on 0542 7211181 who will direct you to the right department.

Prior to the late 1980’s agricultural carts of this nature could be found in villages and towns across Turkey. Many of these carts are over 50 years old. There are not so many around today. In Tavakli village one such example of a cart in very good condition is Auntie Hanife’s.
Look at the detail on the side of the cart. You can tell it has been well looked after and kept out of the rain and bad weather. Such carts are hard to find these days. It is a pity that there is no special place to display the cart in the centre of the village where people could view and admire its beauty.

The view from Mount Çığrı is spectacular. The granite formations stand tall and proud across the plain of this ancient walled city of Neandrea. To the casual tourist this archaelogical site might not seem that impressive but dig a little deeper and you will appreciate why this is an important historical landmark. You can see photos of the ancient city by clicking here.

The remaining defence walls are all that remain of what must have once been a large city. Tracing the route of the walls and what is left of them you begin to get an idea of the sheer scale of this place. Dating back to the 8th century B.C. granite would have been quarried out of the mountain.

Situated near the village of Koçali is one of the quarries that would have been used in the construction of the infrastructure. Surprisingly there are seven huge columns of approx ten metres in length that lie forgotten and abandoned in the bedrock. One wonders why they were left there on completion and never transported to the site for which they were intended.

Amazing stone columns carved on site from granite and which date back 2,800 years. Situated near Kestanbol only a short drive from Tavakli Village this is a part of what was once Neandrea city. Definately worth a visit.

Sapmaz Olive Oil Factory in Tavakli is a family run business employing around 10 workers. During the harvesting season it works 24/7 from November through to March processing the olives and manufacturing fine quality olive oil for which this region is famous.

In the two video clips shown here young Mehmet takes us on a tour of his father’s factory and explains how all the machinery works. Can you believe that Mehmet is just 10 years old! Thank you for such a professional tour of the factory Mehmet.

It has been a long hot summer in Tavakli and everyone is waiting for rain to ensure a good olive crop. Meanwhile daily life continues with everyone looking after the livestock and making preparations for winter.

The goats have spent most of the day out on the hills and now they are back safely locked up for the night. They are playful creatures with very individual characters and they can be quite mischievous at times.

The end of the summer season sees the reservoirs becoming a little low. This is a photo of Alemsah reservoir which is very near to Tavakli village. We need more rain now to top up the water levels and to ensure a good olive crop.

We are now back to three olive factories in the village. This one which closed for a time is now being rebuilt with new machinery and accommodation for the workers. It will be finished soon as it needs to be open for this years olive crop. The olive picking will start in October and run through until February / March time.

The view below is of Sakar Mountain which provides a magnificent backdrop between the village and the sea. Taken at this time of the year when the surrounding soil is dry it looks like something out of a cowboy western film.

One of the best vantage points in the village for an all round panoramic view is the Trafo building ( electric sub station building ). However, an equally good vantage point is the one shown here where an old Ottoman gravestone marks the spot where a popular young man from the village was buried overlooking the sea.
He was admired by the village women who all wanted to marry him for his handsome good looks but he died tragically without finding a suitable partner. His grave is looked after to this day.

The following video is a collection of photos from around the Tavakli area. All of these places are easily accessible for day trips and all are no further than 100km or 60 miles from the village of Tavakli. Most are much closer.